At some point in our lives, many of us will struggle to afford groceries. A job loss, a medical crisis, a divorce, an unexpected expense — life happens. Yet shame often keeps us from seeking help at food shelves and through food assistance programs like SNAP.

• Karen Tolkkinen is a columnist for the Minnesota Star Tribune who writes about issues and people of greater Minnesota. She recently wrote a column about her experience turning to food assistance at two different points in her life.
• Susie West is a University of Minnesota Extension educator who manages and leads a program that helps make food shelves more dignified and inviting — places where families can choose food the way they would in a grocery store.